Upon inspections, you find that the manacles have simple electronic locks associated with them. The security is not excessively tricky, so Mari is able to break through it in short order. The manacles click open and Mehhren is released, only to collapse into your arms.
Meanwhile, Mari's magical brain optimization lets her recall some pertinent details about Mehhren's affliction. In addition to the contents of the spoiler, she also identifies the exact position the symbiend has taken - deep inside Mehhren's neck, on the side of his spine. She knows that a surgical removal of the symbiend is a long and painstaking operation, certainly not something you'd want to do here.
The scarred anassanoi eagerly accepts the healing serum and drinks it. She seems to grow a little more alert and her laser wound heals up, but she still seems very much out of it. She rushes to Mehhren's side when you get him free and helps to lift him up with the aid of one of the rest of you.
Slinging one arm over his shoulder to support Mehhren, Ordyt listens half-comprehendingly to Mari's explanation about the parasite attached to their rescue. "This, uh, symbiend thing--is it aware? Can it report our movements when we try to run?"
As the turn to move off, he reaches out to the scarred anassanoi woman and murmurs a prayer of succor.
As far as Mari is aware, the symbiend can access Mehhren's senses, so while the anassanoi is unconscious it won't be sensing much. Ordyt's healing spell for the scarred anassanoi heals the last of her laser burn but does nothing for her scarring, telepathic slurring or generally unsteady movement.
”Perhaps Mehhren being unconscious is a blessing. Let us get him safely back to the others and ask them to keep him sedated until the symbiend is removed,” suggests Flint.
"It uses Mehhren as its looking glass, so to speak," Mari says in a low voice, "so it can't see or hear anything as long as he's unconscious. We'll want to be back at HQ before they wake up, and keep them isolated until we can figure out what to do."
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Belmarniss gasps a bit when she sees the state Mehhren and the other captive are in.
"Torture and invasive experimentation. F*cking with people's heads...the Legion truly are truly beneath contempt. Even my own House would not be so openly vile," she says, disgust clear in her voice. She offers to help carry Mehhren and support the other anassanoi.
"Forgive us, what was your Designation again? I am Designation Star-Knight Belmarniss Rycast of the Knights of Golarion, though Designation Belmarniss or Designation Bel is fine."
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As you head out of the building's side exit, the scarred anassanoi responds to Bel "Designation... Verrael." and then gives off what seems to be a mental grunt as the unconscious Mehhren almost slips from her shoulder. "Apologies. The exhaustion is catching up finally."
You slip outside and head for the cover of the nearby buildings. The anassanoi's you rescued earlier are already out of sight. A couple of minutes later, you hear the sounds of loud engines as several flying transports converge on the detention facility. Luckily, you're far enough away that you don't have line of sight of the scene any longer, which means they can spot you either. You head back underground and regroup with your driver, who seems a little surprised that you don't have more members in your group.
The others escaped on foot while we retrieved Mehhren, Ordyt informs the driver, once the unconscious anassanoi has been eased into a seat. The Legion probably has identifying info on them, the resistance will need to reach out to the community, to start smuggling them to whatever safe havens can be had.
You take a circuitous path back to the underground cistern in which the anassanoi rebels have set up their base. The place is buzzing with activity when you return - it seems a few of anassanoi you managed to free from the detention camp were located and brought to safe locations already. Their relatives emit telepathic waves of relief and joy that seem to be lifting everyone's spirits.
When you reach the small infirmary room with Mehhren in tow, Verrael helps lower the infested anassanoi Protector into one of the few open beds. A moment after doing so, Verrael collapses against Mehhren's bed herself, eyes closing as she slips into sleep. A few minutes later, Nyralaen arrives in a hurry. "Designation Mehhren has been returned to us! As well as other kin, ones thought to be dead or enslaved. I cannot thank you enough." She observes the scene more clearly and adds "But what has happened? Is Designation Mehhren not well? And who might this poor soul be?" She gestures toward Verrael.
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"This is Designation Verrael, we found her in the same chamber as we found Designation Mehhren," Belmarniss explains. "And yes, Designation Mehhren is VERY not well...they put some kind of bug in his spine to influence his behavior and maybe turn him against the anassanoi or use him as an unwilling spy or...something! Designation Marisol can give you more details. Designation Mehhren needs surgery to get the thing they stuck in him out!"
We should check all the others as well, for maladies magical or technological, Ordyt suggests gently, with a significant nod towards Varrael.
Nyralaen radiates alarm as Bel describes Mehhren's situation. "It appears we must focus all our efforts on extracting this parasite. None of the people here are proper doctors - unfortunately our best medical experts still suffer at the Spire. If any of you are skilled enough, could you take the lead in the procedure? There are those among us who could provide some assistance and aid if so." Nyralaen quickly brings over the few medically skilled rebels to inspect Mehhren and confirm Bel's explanation.
Looking to Mari, Flint thinks about how complex this surgery might be. ”Is this something you can do, Mari? You are the one who figured out what has been done to him,” he asks.
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"I'd be happy to," Mari says with a tired nod, rolling her shoulder to stave off the fatigue threatening to seep in. "Just to be safe, I'd recommend we also keep Varrael isolated, secure, and comfortable until we can perform a more thorough examination. Our enemy was willing to infest Mehhren in anticipation of us potentially rescuing him, they may have done something similar or worse to his cellmate."
Mari takes some time to consider the options available to her, considering the tools and personnel at hand, then returns to her makeshift surgery team to explain her plan.
"Just remember: slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. We have all the time we need if we're thoughtful and deliberate. Let's get to work."
Mari is aided by two other anassanoi healers, while other anassanoi rebels come to help lift up Verrael. When they start lifting, she wakes. She pulls herself free from their hands and turns to look at Mehhren and the assembled medical team. She shakes her head. "Please I... wish to see Designation Mehhren."
A moment as saying so, she straightens and snaps her fingers. "Awaken, destroyer. There will be no better time." Her telepathic words suddenly flow with clarity, though you realize that her telepathic pronunciation seems closer to your own than it does to the other anassanoi. Mehhren surges into motion, bloodshot eyes snapping wide as he leaps out of the bed. Telepathic snarls - pure animal savagery - blast out from his mind.
---
|||| STATUS ||||
Mari (14 dmg)
Flint (83 dmg)
Sammad
Ordyt (96 dmg)
Bel (20 dmg)
Infested Mehhren
Verrael
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Belmarniss gasps as the situation immediately turns into a crisis.
"TRAITOR!" she cries in anger, then she turns to the others.
"SUBDUE AND RESTRAIN MEHHREN QUICKLY! DON'T LET HIM DO SOMETHING HE'LL REGRET WHEN WE SAVE HIM!"
She dashes after Verrael, and a circle of runes appears around her hand as she points to the floor.
"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" she says as the floor suddenly becomes shiny and slick.
Shock, horror, and a weary sadness rise in Ordyt as understanding clicks. "Not a traitor, Bel, just a different kind of victim. Verrael's being controlled--try not to hurt her." Pointing towards the , Ordyt whispers a prayer and a Nyralaen and feels a connection snap into place, her life warded by his. His other hand snaps up, pulsecaster pistol in hand. Mehhren, if you can hear me: fight them! Resist it!
His eyes flaring with solar fire, Flint curses and draws his Tauon Solar weapon (with the stun setting). Moving up to Mehhren, Flint interposes himself between his target and Nuralean, attempting to grab and restrain the possessed protector.
|||| STATUS ||||
Mari (14 dmg)
Flint (2 dmg)
Sammad
Ordyt (4 dmg)
Bel (20 dmg)
Infested Mehhren
Verrael
Cursing, Mari backs away from Mehhren, drawing her arc pistol from her hip and flipping it to "stun" mode.
"Lock down the base!" she shouts, trying to push Nyralaen toward the northern door.
Sammad draws his pulsecaster pistol as the scene descends into chaos. Seeing Verrael slip at Bel's intervention, he sights down on Mehren. "I don't think he can hear us, comrades. We'll just have to immobilize him for now until we can get that damned bug off of him. Aim true!"
With that declaration, he fires towards the possessed Protector!
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To the south, Verrael floats up into the air, hovering in defiance of gravity. She turns in the air and raises a hand that begins shimmering with heat. With a flick of her wrist she sends an explosive blast out into the infirmary! The north half of the room fills with roaring flame.
Both of the two anassanoi that went with Nyralaen are reduced to a charred corpses. Nyralaen gets significantly burned, but appears to be more resilient against injury than her medically minded kin . Mari dodges the worst of the flames, but the rest of you take the blast head on.
Mehhren sees a potential path to Nyralaen and takes it, weaving between members of your group as he enters a frothing rage! Upon reaching Nyralaen, he converts that momentum into a heavy swing of his fist. It connects squarely with the Protector's chest, knocking the wind out of her. Thanks to the shield other spell on her, her injuries are significantly mitigated and she stays on her feet.
|||| STATUS ||||
Mari (8 dmg)
Flint (27 dmg)
Sammad (29 dmg)
Ordyt (61 dmg)
Bel
Infested Mehhren (get em +2)
Verrael
*Nyralaen Status: 29 dmg
Flint lashes out with his Solar scimitar as Mehhren moves past!
He then moves up and tries to wrestle the incoherent protector away from Nyralean.
"Do NOT let Verrael escape!" Ordyt bellows, trading his pistol for rifle/bayonet and cursing himself for not getting a stun baton.
Weaponed leveled, he slides in behind Mehhren, trapping the rogue anassanoi in the room--with Nyralaen, unfortunately. "Sorry, Protector, I'll fix you up later," his apologetic tone is reflected by the halfhearted stab attempt.
Mari lets out a surprised yelp and hops out of Mehhren's way, putting a stun round into his back as he charges past her.
Sammad keeps up the encouragement and scores a perfectly placed hit of his own.
Nyralaen carefully steps away, her guard up, then runs out the now open door. Telepathically, she broadcasts back to you all "My kin, please! Return to yourself! Fight that creature inside you!"
With Mehhren unable to reach her thanks to Flint's grab, he thrashes out wildly. Despite being partially bound, he strikes some lucky blows on both Ordyt and Flint. To the south, Verrael floats eastward, into the main cistern area of the rebel base. You can hear anassanoi mental shouts of alarm when they see her flying through the air.
|||| STATUS ||||
Mari (8 dmg)
Flint (59 dmg)
Sammad (29 dmg)
Ordyt (82 dmg)
Bel
Infested Mehhren (62 dmg, grappled, get em +2)
Verrael
*Nyralaen Status: 29 dmg
Stepping around Mehhren and releasing his grasp as he blocks the door to Nyralean, Flint slashes again with his holy scimitar, trying to take down the controlled protector before he can do any more damage. The solar fire continues to build in his eyes as he continues to fight one who should be his ally...
While Bel closes the distance with Verrael, her telepathic shout draws the attention of a dozen anassanoi within the cistern area. They look around, answering with confused telepathic questions, until they spot the singular figure running away from Bel. Verrael calls out, in rough anassanoi "Help! The starwalkers have turned on us!" The call, from one of their own, triggers a moment of hesitation from the crowd.
Inside, Flint lands a powerful slash on the enraged Mehhren. The weight of the blow almost sends the Protector to the ground, but bloody determination keeps him upright.
|||| STATUS ||||
Mari (8 dmg)
Flint (59 dmg)
Sammad (29 dmg)
Ordyt (82 dmg)
Bel
Infested Mehhren (98 dmg, get em +2)
Verrael
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"I am a Knight of Golarion! My oaths are unbreakable, and I swore an oath to aid and defend the anassanoi people!" Belmarniss yells indignantly. "Right now the rest of my squad is defending Protector Nyralaen from an attack triggered! Help me restrain her so we can save Protector Nyralaen AND Protector Mehhren!"
As the sound of shouting comes from the cistern area, Ordyt takes in the badly mauled Mehhren and decides his companions here can handle it. "I'll back up Bel," he doesn't wait for a confirmation before taking off, powering down the hall and into the cistern chamber.
"Verrael is controlled by hostile magic! Defend Nyralaen! Rally to the Protectors!"
Mari, laser focused, maneuvers around Sammad to get a clearer shot at Mehhren while he struggles with Flint.
Sammad continues to rally your group to focus on Mehhren, but his shot goes wide.
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In the cistern, Verrael sails over the heads of a pair of anassanoi with cries of "Don't believe their lies my friends!" It's hardly convincing material given what you know, but her fear and despair come through raw and potent through her telepathy, and it's hard to ignore. Still, when Ordyt argues that she's under mental control, a couple of the rebels start heading north to catch her. Verrael spots Nyralaen attempting to flee around the corner, and with another snap of her fingers, a brilliant wall of flame rises up to block Nyralaen's path... as well as your own! Heat radiates out to the south and west, while the opaque flames block your view of the flying anassanoi.
Nyralaen is burned by the heat from the wall, with Ordyt sharing some of her injury. Nyralaen hesitates, with a foe ahead of her and the enraged Mehhren behind. Hearing Mehhren's waves of weariness though, she seems to realize that her fellow protector is on his last legs, and returns back to join Flint.
|||| STATUS ||||
Mari (8 dmg)
Flint (89 dmg)
Sammad (29 dmg)
Ordyt (128 dmg)
Bel
Infested Mehhren (110 dmg, get em +2)
Verrael
*Nyralaen Status: 33 dmg
Almost in disbelief at how much punishment Mehhren is withstanding, Mari just keeps firing.
His head ringing from the blow to his head, Ordyt staggers towards the wall of fire with a despairing sound low in his throat. Leaning shakily against the piping, he raises his grenade launcher and puts a frag grenade through the wall, more out of spite than any illusions of taking down Verrael.
"Bel...I don't think...that's a controlled anassanoi. Remember how...the efreet could...shapeshift?" The oread pants, blinking to stop the room from spinning. "If you catch her...kill her."
Focusing on the threat before him, Flint keeps swinging as his eyes blaze with solar fire! If the protector goes down to stunning damage, he will abort any remaining attacks.
In the cistern room, Bel gets closer to the blazing wall as Ordyt's grenade sails through it. A puff of frost clears the fire for just a moment - long enough to see Verrael recoiling in pain - before the wall's magic reasserts itself. For her part, Verrael sails with impunity through the burning barrier and ends up close to Flint and Nyralaen. She shakes her head and utters "Despite our best efforts, even one of their vaunted Protectors can't be reshaped into a capable fighter. As a species, they're a lost cause. Now hold still so I can deal with you." She raises a hand and sends out a wave of flame that washes over Flint and Nyralaen.
Flint's fire resistance keeps him perfectly safe, but Nyralaen is further singed . Patting her robes to put them out, she runs back and attends to Mehhren, trying to drag him out of the line of fire.
Ripples of heat from the wall of fire singe Bel.
|||| STATUS ||||
Mari (8 dmg)
Flint (89 dmg)
Sammad (29 dmg)
Ordyt (133 dmg)
Bel (9 dmg)
Infested Mehhren (KO'd, stable)
Verrael
*Nyralaen Status: 39 dmg
Ordyt curses as another pulse of pain washes through him. "Shit, shit, okay, let's finish this," he shakes his head at the wall of fire and telepathically wishes Bel Good hunting, before pushing off from the wall to make his way back to the previous room.
Closing in on Verrael, Flint's eyes blaze as he responds, "A society is judged not by the strength of their warriors, but by the way it treats others. You legion types are not impressing me so far."
Flint slams his solar scimitar at the imposter, trying to land a hit on the elusive enemy.
"Okay, here we go," Mari murmurs, activating her energy shield and following after Flint, though she stops to take cover in the hallway leading to the chamber itself.
With Verrael revealed, Sammad rallies the team against her, then fires his pistol.
The traitorous anassanoi takes a moment to size Flint up, then takes on an martial artist's stance in mid-air. She jabs forth for his neck with a flat hand, but he's able to get his weapon up in time. She follows by floating carefully away from him. "I agree, societies are judged by the impression they leave upon others. We intend to leave a fine impression." She narrows her eyes "You've gotten a little better. A shame you waste those skills on this cause."
|||| STATUS ||||
Mari (8 dmg)
Flint (89 dmg)
Sammad (29 dmg)
Ordyt (133 dmg)
Bel (9 dmg)
Infested Mehhren (KO'd, stable)
Verrael (7 dmg, imp get em)
*Nyralaen Status: 39 dmg